Kiosk Europe Expo 2008-04-24
6-8 May Essen Germany
Self-service can cut patient services costs, says Anne Warner, who reports for the trade publication Kiosk Europe.
‘Self-service solutions are helping to streamline customer service and save costs wherever customer service is crucial. Airports have installed check-in kiosks, supermarkets are adding self-checkout terminals, and so on. How can self-service help to provide better patient services in hospitals?
‘In an industry where confidentiality and trust is key, the self-service kiosk can play a major role in providing a trustworthy and highly secure means of transmitting information between the patient and their doctor or healthcare advisor, without the need to go via a third party,’ she points out, adding that it also enables patients to access information and that surgeries and hospitals can have automated check-in procedures. ‘It even cuts down on the paperwork!’
Some examples of the solutions offered by kiosks for healthcare include automated arrival terminals, where patients can check in without queuing at reception; appointment booking kiosks, where patients can make appointments or view available timeslots; health check terminals providing basic checks such as blood pressure, without seeing a nurse or doctor, and healthcare information terminals to make general health information available on request, she points out.
‘In Germany, plans are in place to install kiosks that will provide functions to holders of the new electronic health card. Soon, insured patients will be able to look up health information and medical documents at kiosks installed throughout the country. Though still on paper, prescriptions in Germany will be created digitally in future, allowing insurers to view them at an eKiosk then release them to a pharmacy. Later on, patients will be actively involved in handling their health data with a view to increasing responsibility for their own health.’ For this, eKiosks are envisaged as the medium.
In the UK,’ she observes, ‘self-service touch screen kiosks are being provided to the medical industry to enhance medical record access and surgery check-in procedures for patients throughout the country.’ Rather than queuing, on arrival, patients who register with the self-service system can scan in a fingerprint to check-in. ‘The kiosks can also be used by patients wishing to check their medical records, as well as allowing them to access patient information leaflets containing information on commonly diagnosed illnesses.’
In summary, she concludes: ‘Kiosks can improve the patient’s experience and help to reduce costs, while maintaining confidentiality at all times.’
Presentations on self-service for the medical sector will be held on 8 May.
Details: www.kioskeurope-expo.com
30.04.2008
